er
Fifth, by way of marking the contrast, or perhaps in order to soothe
their guilty consciences, had given extra attention to their
preparation for the English mistress, and matters progressed swimmingly
in consequence. Miss Latham dealt out good marks lavishly. Then, with
a word of praise for the careful manner in which the form had prepared
its work, she made way for Miss Burton.

It was the German lesson first.

"Let me see--I set an essay for your preparation, didn't I?" began the
new mistress briskly. "Hilda Burns, you are head of this form, kindly
collect the papers and bring them to me."

Hilda rose from her desk, then hesitated, while her eye swept round the
classroom. Every member of the form sat rigidly at attention, while
every desk was bare of essay papers. With a little gasp of
nervousness, Hilda endeavoured to break the news of the Lower Fifth's
unpreparedness for the lesson.

"If you please, Miss Burton, I don't think there are any essays to be
given in."

Miss Burton stared at her in undisguised amazement.

"No essays? What do you mean, child? Do you mean to tell me that
nobody in the whole form has had time to do their preparation?"

"I--I don't think there are any essays done," evaded Hilda.

Miss Burton continued to stare at the head of her form for a moment or
two. Then a grim expression came over her face and she turned to the
other girls.

"Hands up, please, those of you who have done the essay that I set,"
she commanded.

Not a hand was raised. The whole form sat in rigid stillness; and the
mistress put her question in a slightly different form.

"Hands up those of you who have not done it," she said.

With a promptness that would have done the form credit in a drill
display, a hand shot up from every girl, while a stifled giggle ran
round the room at the look of blank astonishment that spread over the
mistress's face.

"I shall be obliged if someone will enlighten me as to why this work
has not been done," Miss Burton said at length in her stiffest manner.
But although she waited for an answer, none came. Once more she turned
to Hilda.

"Hilda Burns, will you please explain why the form has not done the
preparation that I set?" she demanded. But there was no satisfactory
explanation to be got out of Hilda. The head of the form blushed and
stammered and fidgeted, but no coherent answer was forthcoming from
her, and at last the mistress gave up the attempt to elicit